Reactor Review: Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 2

The Guardians of the Galaxy are back to save the universe once again, with Star Lord’s new mix-tape jammin’ along for the ride. James Gunn returns to direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2, the sequel to the hit movie about a previously obscure group of comic characters who are now household names, thanks to the success of the first film. The sequel movie stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Karen Gillan, Michael Rooker, and Kurt Russell. In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the Guardians face a threat that ties together with other Marvel Cinematic Universe film franchise films, and follows the progression of the story as a whole.

The sequel continues from the previous film. The Guardians are now mercenaries for hire, after becoming famous from their triumph over Ronan the Accuser in the first movie. The group accepts a new task from Ayesha (leader of the Sovereign race), in an exchange for Nebula, who is a prisoner of the Sovereign race after the events of the previous film. Once the exchange has been completed, the Sovereign discovers that Rocket smuggled items out of Sovereign and as such, she orders an attack on the Guardians. The group quickly escapes on their spaceship, the Milano, but in the process their ship is damaged and they are forced to land on an unknown planet. After landing on this planet, the Guardians are saved by a mysterious man, who tells the Guardians that his name is Ego, and is revealed to be Peter Quill’s father. The adventure only continues from there.

This film continues showing the Guardians as a dysfunctional group that gets on each others’ nerves, but will still work together through the bond of a family. The most notable characters in the movie are Peter Quill and Rocket; the comedic dialogue between the two as they fight for control of the group highlights the sense of the team being a family, and all while Drax takes the back seat and enjoys laughing at their expense. Yet the one character who steals the show and the hearts of the audience is Baby Groot, a loveable prankster who generates a lot of laughs.

While the previous film focused on Peter Quill’s relationship with his mom, in this film there is a shift toward Peter’s relationship with his Father, Ego. This underscores the theme of bonding as a family, rather just working together as friends. This is highlighted through heartwarming moments that compliment the comedic dialogue and other scenes featured in the movie. The plotline also goes into each of the members’ back stories; while each of the characters has their own story to tell, they all intertwine with each other to focus on being a family.

As in the first film, the soundtrack of this movie is catchy and works well with the related scenes. Music has become an important part of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, and I suspect we may be hearing these classic 80’s songs a lot this year. You will also appreciate the subtle nods, cameos and Easter eggs that James Gunn has included in the film. Fans of the comics will have a fun time keeping an eye out for all these references.

Overall, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a thrill ride of fun and excitement, just as the first movie was, but dialed-up a notch on the excitement. f you’re planning to see this film I highly recommend watching it in 3D, as the movie is best viewed in that format; the visuals are spectacular, and the 3D effects really showcase this format’s capabilities. But no matter how you see it, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a film that won’t disappoint, and will likely herald in a rise in popularity for the team, most especially Baby Groot.

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